Army chief General Raheel Sharif has called for close coordination between Pakistan and Afghanistan and better border management for long-term peace and stability in the region.
The army chief made these remarks on Tuesday during a visit to the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) Headquarters at Balahassar Fort in Peshawar, according to the military’ media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Gen Raheel was briefed by FC’s Inspector General Maj Gen Tayyab Azam on the operational preparedness of his force, its capacity building and the progress in its ongoing operations.
Addressing officers and men of the FC, the army chief paid rich tribute to the valour, sacrifices and achievements of the FC Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan Agency, codenamed Zarb-e-Azb.
He said the FC has been playing a pivotal and ‘praiseworthy’ role in the fight against terrorism.
“The FC is fighting hand in glove with army troops in Fata and the K-P and FC troops are writing new chapters of bravery, steadfastness and sacrifices,” he added.
The army chief said the ‘indomitable courage’ of army and FC soldiers had been the bedrock of Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
He said the nation had unshakable trust in its armed forces, kept them in very high esteem and acknowledged their sacrifices in the line of duty. “We are proud to be custodian of this unflinching faith of our nation, and will always come up to their expectations,” Gen Raheel said.
The army chief also reviewed new manpower and equipment induction plan to build FC’s capacity and directed to ensure merit in selection, and best training standards to remain an effective and credible institution.
Gen Raheel also paid glowing tributes to the police officials and other security agencies, which have ‘courageously braved’ the onslaught of terror and rendered ‘supreme sacrifices’ along with other security forces in the fight against terrorism.
He commended an integrated response by all security forces to bring a noticeable improvement in the security situation. However, he directed them to remain ever vigilant to defeat terrorist attempts to launch attacks across the country in future also.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 21st, 2015.
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